Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has made comments on negotiations on the status and principles of Gabala radar station rent and exploitation ( Information analytical center Daryal).

E. Mammadyarov stated that the negotiations are underway – the state commissions formed by the sides keep on their work.

" I think , information on their results will appear by the end of the year",- E.  Mammadyarov said.

Earlier Foreign minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov stated of the need to intensify negotiations on this issue within the working group set up by the two countries’ governments.

After the first session of the working group the Russian press has accused Azerbaijan of the demand to increase the rent for the radar from $7 million up to $300 million a year.

Earlier President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan defined composition of the national group in the negotiations on the status and rent & exploitation principles of Gabala radiolocation station (Information Analytic Centre "Daryal") to be held with Russia in connection with expiration of the agreement in this area signed on 25 January 2002.

Under the President’s decree, the national negotiating group was headed by first vice-premier Eyyub Yagubov. The group also composes Defense Minister Safar Abiyev, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, Chairman of State Committee on Land and Cartography Garib Mammadov, Chairman of State Committee for Property Affairs Karam Hasanov, Chairman of State Customs Committee Aydin Aliyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Oruj Zalov, Deputy Tax Minister Sahir Mammadkahnov, Head of State Migration Service Arzu Rahimov, Head of main department of National Security Ministry Nizami Shirinov and Head of Gabala region’s Executive Power Sabuhi Abdullayev. Head of the State ordered the group to timely provided coordination of status and rent and exploitation principles of the radiolocation station with Russia.

Earlier Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Khalaf Khalafov stated that the station upgrade offered by Russia will be solved at the negotiations to bear complex character and aiming at preparation of common document regulating all issues- rent period, rent payment, etc.

"Also the issue of ownership for newest control technologies over rocket launches will be solved at the negotiations if the variant of station upgrade is chosen. So far consultations are underway between Defense agencies of both countries. The rent contract of the station expires next year and today we need to determine if the existing agreement should be prolonged with corresponding amendments or the new one to be prepared. We are ready for either variant," Khalafov said.

Earlier Russian Defense Minister A. Serdyukov said that he has no fear that Azerbaijan and Russia can not agree on station rent conditions.

"We need this station. We would like to upgrade it, make it quite different one, with different parameters. We have an idea how to do it. It is very useful to extend Radiolocation station’s parameters, including Iran program as well," Serdyukov said.

The consultations on this issue are held by the Commission composing reps of Russian Defense, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade Ministries.

"Modern station of high operational compatibility is most likely to be set in Gabala. It will be manufactured at the plant and just directly assembled in Gabala. Our Azerbaijani partners do not have objections. Now only purely financial issue is one the agenda," Serdyukov said.

According to him Azerbaijan would like to sharply increase rent cost against present $14 million per year.

"We would like to keep previous cost but at that sharply reduce the territory we rent. With new form of the station we do not need such territories, volume of communications and engineering. We will not consume so much water and energy," Serdyukov noted.

The Radiolocation station serves to warn about rocket launches in South hemisphere. Its rent period expires in 2012 and Russia is ready to extend it at least till 2025.

Nevertheless General Director of OJSC "Radio Technical Institute named after academic A.L.Mints" Vladimir Savchenko stated that construction of newest radio location station  "Voronezh - VP" of high plant preparedness in Gabala is planned for completion in 2019.

14.06.2012 15:42